Cutting mechanism



Feb. 4, 1930. A. NOVICK CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 17, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet l awa- Feb. 4, 1930. A. NOVICK 1,746,048

CUTTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 17, 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 2 4. Jar/7d 60 and Patented Feb. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I ABRAHAM NOVICE, F BROOK LYN NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO F. L. SMITHE 00., INC., 01? NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF- NEW YORK CUTTING MECHANISM My invention relates to nism for envelope blanks and the l1ke. It is particularly concerned w1th -an arrangement for cutting a series of slits along the portion of the envelope blank on which is sealed down the sealing flap, the ob ects of these slits being to weaken the structure of said portion of the blank so as. to permit the recipient of a sealed envelope to open the same by merely grasping the tip of the seal flap and pulhng it in. such manner as to tear the envelope along its weakened portion.

In the type of envelope usuallyemployed for business purposes, the seal flap overlaps both the tip of the back flap and the upper edges of the end flaps,"and the preferred form of embodiment of the present invention, therefore, is arranged to cut the slits in the above-named portions of the blank. It will be understood, however, that the invention P is not limited to mechanism for effecting the particular arrangement ofslits hereinbefore referred to.

A good understanding of the invention maynow be had from the following description, having reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings: v Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view illustratin one of the rollers for slitting the end flaps o the blanks; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the retaining plate 12 removed; gigure 4'is an end view of Figure 2;

ure tively; I

Figure 'Z'is a plan view of a cutting roller 4 'of Figure 1; Figures 8 and 9 are sections of Figure 7,

on lines 8-8 and 99, respectively;

Fi res 10 and 11 are sections of Figures its? 9 on lines XX and XIXI, respect- Figure 12 shows an envelope blank slitted by the mechanism of the present invention;

portion of the slitting mecha- I res 5 and 6 are partial sections of Fig on lines V-V and VI--VI respec-- Figure 13 is a view of the envelope produced from the blank illustratedin Figure 12. 1

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in each of the several views.

In Figure 1 reference numeral 1 designates a frame in which are mounted a plurality of shafts 2' bearing the cutting rolls designated 4, 4 and 4, arranged, to cooperate, respectively, with bed rolls 3, 3 and 3. Feed rolls 5, also mounted on shafts 2, serve to feed the blanks between the rollers, as hereinafter described.

The rollers 4 and 4, alike i'n construction, serve to form slits in the-end flaps of the envelope blanks. Each roll consists of a semicylindrical base 15 (Fig. 4) on which is mounted a block 16 and a plate 17 these parts being secured together by means of machine screws 19. A blade block 18 is mounted on late 17 by means of screws 20, which extend into the block from its lower face. The outer surfaces of blade block 18, plate 17 and .block 16 are shaped-to constitute a'cylindrical surface concentrie to shaft 2. Block 18 is provided withrecesses 23 (see Fig. 3) which extend entirely through the block. and serve .to receive the blades 21. Each blade is provided'with a knife edge 14 which extends a slight distance outwardly over, a guard plate 12 provided for retaining the blade within its recess. The edge of each'blade is biased to protruding position means of an S- b shaped spring 24 mounted in each of the re-- cesses 23 directly below the edge portion. of each bladew Shoulders 22 and 22 are provided on blade 21 at each end of the edge portion 14 thereof, to limit the outward movement of the blade by engaging with the retainin plate 12.

In t e preferable form of construction, the

shoulder 22- of each blade is made narrow,

and the shoulder 22" wide, and alternate blades are placed into block 18 in opposite directions, as indicated in Figure 3, with the result that the cutting edges 14-.of the blades are in straight row and extend through the-diagonal opening 13 in plate 12, whereas the shoulders 22 thereof extend to opposite 7' sides of the opening. This construction has the advantage that each cut is made by an I individual blade separate from all the others, and readily removable for sharpening or replacement by merely taking ofi the guard plate 12. Great facility of adjustment and ease of resharpening or replacement are thus achieved.

Each individual blade, moreover, is provided with its separate spring, and the staggered or alternating arrangement of the blades serves to hold the spring thereof in registry with its blade.

As stated before, the end flap slitting rollers 4 and 4 are alike in construction, the only difference being that the diagonal slit 13 on the one is in a reverse direction to that on the other, as illustrated in Figure 1. The central slitting roller 4 is of a construction substantially similar to the side slitting rollers just described, in that the cutting blades are mounted in a blade block 18 provided with a guard plate 12, with the exception, however, that there are provided only two blades, namely 10 and 11,blade 10 being provided with a pluralityof cutting edges 10 and 10 and blade 11 being provided with a single V-shaped cutting edge 11. A plurality of springs. 24 are provided for biasing blade edges 10 and 10 to protruding position, and shoulders 22 are provided for limiting the protruding position of the blade edges. The blade 11 is placed adjacent to blade 10, and its V-shaped cutting edge is maintained in projecting position by means of a spring 24, shoulders 22 being provided to limit the extent of projection of the cutting edge. The guard plate 12 is provided withan opening 8 for permitting the projection of the cutting-edges 10, 10 and 11 The operation of the slitting device is as follows:

A blank of the general shape indicated in Figures 12 is fed by any suitable feeding mechanism into the feed rollers 5, the leading edge of the blank in the present form of embodiment being the back flap designated a in Figure 12. The feeding operation is so timed, that the tip of the back flap is engaged between the cutting roll 4 and bed roll 3 in such position as to form in the back flap the V-shaped slit 50 by the action of blade 11, and the further slits 51 and 51 by the action of the blades 10 and 10". As the rotation of the feed rolls 5 progresses, the blank is further advanced between the rolls until the end flaps of the blank designated B in Figure 12, are seized between the cutting rolls 4 and 4 and their respective end rolls 3 and 3. The effect of these rolls is to provide a series of parallel slits 52 and 52 in the end flaps of the blank. Upon further rotation of the feed rolls, the blank is propelled out of the slitting mechanism and a new, blank is introduced, the operation thereupon being repeated.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of mechanism embodying the invention, it will be readily understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it being my intention to claim the same broadly in whatever form its principles may be employed.

What I claim is:

1. In a cutting roll, a plurality of blades, a blade receiving member, said member being recessed for receiving the said blades, said blades being placed into said recess with their faces adjacent each other, each blade being provided with a lateral extension, and said recess being formed with guiding surfaces for cooperating with said lateral extension to guide said blades, and resilient means for holding said blades in cutting position.

2. In a cutting roll, a plurality of blades, a blade receiving member, said member bein recessed .for receiving the saidblades, saic l blades being provided with lateral extensions and said recess being serrated to receive said extensions and constitute guides therefor, means for retaining said blades in said recess and means for yieldingly holding said blades in position against said retaining means.

3. In a cutting roll, a cutter comprising a row of contiguous, parallel, individual blades, each blade having a guiding prolongation projecting from one end thereof, and a blade block having a recess therein for receiving the blades, the opposite walls of said recess being provided with alternating notches for receiving the guiding prolongations of alternate blades whereby each blade is guided from one end thereof and the guiding prolongations of adjoining blades are caused to extend in opposite directions so that each blade can be guided by a single notch and without the necessity of allowing any intervening space between adjoining blades.

4. In a cutting roll, a cutter for forming a weakened line of detachment in a blank, comprising a row of contiguous, independent perforating blades, a blade receiving member, said member being provided with a plurality of adjoining recesses for receiving and independentlysupporting said blades, and resilient members individual to said blades for yieldingly holding said blades in cutting position.

5. In a cutting roll, a cutter for forming a weakened line of detachment in a blank, comprising a row of contiguous, independently movable perforating blades, and a blade receiving member, said member being provided with a recess for receiving said blades, and the edges of said recess being serrated to provide surfaces for supporting and guiding the individual blades independently .of one another.

6. In a cuttin roll a row of contiguous, parallel perforating blades, means common to v the blades for retaining the blades in place and for limiting outward movement of the blades, and spring'means for individually urging them outward to cuttin position.

. In testimony whereof I have axed my sig- 10 nature to this specification.

v V ABRAHAM NOVICK. 

